1 Chronicles

David reigned for 40 years. He ruled over Judah for 7 years in Hebron, and then over all twelve tribes for 33 years in Jerusalem (29:27).

What is a lyre? The lyre (25:3) is a triangular stringed musical instrument, with anywhere from 3 to 12 strings. It is held like a guitar and strummed with either the fingers or a pick.

New job descriptions for the Levites. For nearly 500 years a specific group of Levites had taken care of the portable tabernacle and its furniture, including the ark. Whenever the tabernacle was moved, each Levite had a specific job to… Read More »New job descriptions for the Levites

Why did ancient kings go to war in the spring? In Palestine, crops such as barley and wheat were harvested in the spring. An invading army could live off harvested grains.

King David is the main character in 1 Chronicles. The writer presents a very positive picture of him, leaving out many of the tragic details of his life that the writer of 2 Samuel describes.

How does Chronicles differ from Samuel and Kings? The books of 1–2 Samuel and 1–2 Kings show that the Lord drove Israel and Judah from their land because of their sin. The books of 1–2 Chronicles agree that Israel sinned… Read More »How does Chronicles differ from Samuel and Kings?

Why couldn’t the ark be carried on an oxcart? The Lord had commanded that the ark should be carried with long poles (Ex. 25:12–15). Transporting the ark on an oxcart instead demonstrated a lack of reverence for this representation of… Read More »Why couldn’t the ark be carried on an oxcart?

Bows and arrows were widely used in Bible times (12:2). Bows were made with single pieces of wood or by gluing layers of wood, horn, and sinew together. They were between 3 and 6 feet (0.9 and 1.8 m) long.… Read More »Bows and arrows

How did David conquer Jerusalem? The Chronicler tells of David’s conquest of Jerusalem in 11:4–10. Second Samuel 5:8 provides an additional interesting detail: David and his men were able to enter the city through an underground water shaft.

How many genealogies are there in the Bible? There are about 25 genealogical lists in the Bible. These genealogies show how God protected his covenant people through the centuries.

Why is the genealogy for Naphtali so short? The Chronicler was writing more than a thousand years after the beginning of Israel’s tribes. During that time, all the tribes had gone into exile. This made it difficult to find genealogies… Read More »Why is the genealogy for Naphtali so short?

Bashan, northeast of the Sea of Galilee, was known for its rich pastureland and healthy livestock (5:11–16). The OT sometimes uses the riches of Bashan as a symbol of overindulgence and arrogance. For example, Amos 4:1 refers to the proud,… Read More »Bashan

Do the books of Chronicles have a main theme? The central theme of 1–2 Chronicles is how God’s covenant with David provided an enduring hope for Israel, even in its darkest hours.

Why so many genealogies? The first readers of 1 Chronicles were Israelites living after the Babylo­nian exile. The genealogies showed them that they were still God’s people. For Christians, the genealogies also show how God preserved the line of David’s… Read More »Why so many genealogies?

Why begin with Adam? By beginning with Adam, the Chronicler shows that God planned to make Israel his chosen people, out of all the nations of the world, since the very beginning of human history.